Watching the Daimyo's envoy and his entourage depart, Minato Namikaze couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
"Kaigetsu-kun... how did the eting go?"
"Reasonably successful, I'd say." Gojo Kaigetsu took a sip of tea. "Kazuma... he'll likely launch an attack on Konoha within the next day or two."
"What?! An attack on Konoha?! How dare he?!" Minato exclaid, his face etched with disbelief.
Of the Guardian Ninja, only Kazuma was a Jonin. Fuyo and Fudo were Special Jonin at best.
With such a ager force, he planned to overthrow the Hokage and attack Konoha? Even Danzo would show so respect. Who did Kazuma think he was?
"Who knows? Perhaps that's what they call 'confidence of the Land of Fire,'" Gojo Kaigetsu shrugged. "The mont he makes a move, we'll take him down. Kazuma, Fudo, and Fuyo—their heads will be delivered to the Daimyo."
"We'll check the underworld bounties on them first. After collecting the reward, we'll send their bodies to the Daimyo's estate."
"With evidence of treason and an open attack on Konoha, their deaths will be justified. Even the Daimyo can't find fault with that." Gojo Kaigetsu's tone turned serious. "The Guardian Ninja Twelve are the Daimyo's last line of defense."
"Once they're dealt with, we'll assign five Konoha ninja, loyal to the village, to protect the Daimyo."
Minato fell silent, fully grasping the implications of Gojo Kaigetsu's words.
With five Konoha ninja as the Daimyo's personal guard... could the Daimyo's decrees even leave his bedroom?
After a mont, Minato asked, "You only ntioned three. What about the other female ninja? You wouldn't..."
"I'm not that desperate. As for her fate... that's a secret I can't reveal." Gojo Kaigetsu smirked. If he rembered correctly, that kunoichi, Fūka, wielded the legendary "Execution by Kiss." Even Naruto had fallen victim to her technique.
He wasn't interested in such... promiscuous individuals.
But talent should be utilized.
Gojo Kaigetsu's foot massage parlor and Konoha's "KTV" establishnt still lacked a Special Jonin-level kunoichi as their main attraction. In fact, female ninja in general were a rare commodity in such establishnts.
If news spread that a Special Jonin kunoichi was available... those wealthy patrons would flock to the establishnts like moths to a fla.
Ideally, they'd implent a bidding system—highest bidder wins.
Of course, to prevent this "Execution by Kiss" kunoichi from corrupting Konoha's younger generation, Gojo Kaigetsu planned to restrict her services to "foreign guests only, ninja preferred."
Let her drain the life force of outsiders. Judging by the spending records, Gonbee of Kirigakure was already a loyal patron of Konoha's KTV and foot massage parlor.
Starting with him, they'd drain the vitality of an entire generation of Kirigakure ninja!
Once she'd made a na for herself in Konoha, they could expand... Ninja World Tour! Starting bid: one million ryō.
The combination of forbidden books and the Execution by Kiss—a dual assault on mind and body. Gojo Kaigetsu couldn't imagine the state those once-vigorous young ninja would be reduced to.
...
...
Nightfall. Sarutobi Residence.
"Lord Hiruzen, are you truly blind to what's happening in the village?" Kazuma asked, his voice sharp, his gaze fixed on the forr Hokage. He hadn't touched the tea offered to him. "The Fourth Hokage's actions border on treason!"
"I always believed you would uphold the Will of Fire. But now, in the Fourth's hands, the Daimyo is treated with utter disrespect."
"You must correct this. Don't let Konoha stray further down the wrong path."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, known for his gentle deanor and conciliatory approach, offered no such response.
Instead, he shook his head. "Each generation has its own responsibilities, its own mission, its own interpretation of the Will of Fire. Konoha's youth must shoulder the burdens of this new era. The Will of Fire must evolve to remain relevant."
"Konoha's young ninja are the village's most vital and energetic force. They are our hope, our future."
"The Will of Fire unites us. The youth of this new era carry the responsibility of Konoha's resurgence. The great rejuvenation of Konoha is our most cherished dream. Countless Konoha ninja have dedicated their lives to this goal. Now, at this historical turning point, the new generation has taken the baton, willingly shouldering the responsibility of making Konoha great again."
"I might have been the first to codify the Will of Fire, but an old man like can no longer grasp its aning in this new era."
"The new generation, led by Gojo Kaigetsu and Minato Namikaze, they understand the Will of Fire far better than I do. I trust they will make the right choices for Konoha's future."
Kazuma, a man of action, not words, was no match for Hiruzen Sarutobi's decades of political maneuvering. Hiruzen's Talk no Jutsu left him utterly bewildered.
He wanted to retort, "Can you speak plainly?!"
But Hiruzen Sarutobi was renowned throughout the Land of Fire, even the entire ninja world, as the Professor of Ninjutsu. Provoking him would be a foolish move. The Daimyo wouldn't protect him from the Third Hokage's wrath.
He could only swallow his frustration.
"Hmph. If that's how you feel, I won't press further. But I hope you won't regret this, Hiruzen. You will witness Konoha's descent into the abyss."
Kazuma's words hung heavy in the air. His two-pronged approach—reasoning with Hiruzen and leveraging the Daimyo's authority—had failed. This stubborn old fool and Minato Namikaze were clearly cut from the sa cloth.
Then they could both drown with Konoha's sinking ship.
Ignoring the bustling new comrcial district – a symbol of Konoha's misguided priorities in his eyes – Kazuma returned to his lodgings.
After setting up a small barrier jutsu for privacy, he retrieved an ancient scroll and a map of Konoha.
The scroll, worn with age, its title barely legible, contained the [Earth Release: Ultimate Reincarnation Technique – Corpse Soil].
"With this jutsu... I can destroy Konoha."
"No, there's no need for such drastic asures. Destroying the Hokage Tower and leveraging the Daimyo's authority should be enough to seize control."
"Konoha's ninja are valuable assets of the Land of Fire. They've simply been misled by Minato Namikaze and his faction."
Kazuma's plan was as follows—
He would use the Ultimate Reincarnation Technique.
This jutsu allowed the user to resurrect the dead using their corpses as diums. By channeling Earth Release chakra, the deceased would be brought back to life as puppets under the caster's control. They would possess their original appearance, abilities, and chakra levels, capable of wielding all their forr powers.
The current Hokage Tower had completely strayed from its original purpose, disregarding the First Hokage's "One Village, One Country" agreent and defying the Daimyo...
The solution was simple.
He would resurrect the First and Second Hokage from their graves, to restore order to Konoha!
Let the forr Hokage, the very source of the Will of Fire, witness the current state of their village!
"The more they resist, the more determined I beco! The more the Hokage Tower defies the Daimyo, the more I must intervene!"
Kazuma's grip on the scroll tightened.
This was... his destiny.
His clan's secret Reincarnation Technique, passed down through generations, was ant for this mont. To save Konoha from the brink of destruction.
He would resurrect the purest embodint of the Will of Fire and restore balance to the village.
"Muahahahaha!"
Kazuma threw back his head and laughed maniacally.
Action was needed.
Knowing that delays were dangerous, he imdiately summoned his three subordinates using the Guardian Ninja's secret communication technique.
"Fudo, Fuyo, and Fuen! Co to at once!"
"Kazuma-sama, I've been here all along," Fudo replied.
"We saw an interesting job posting in the new comrcial district. We'll be right there," Fuyo and Fuen responded.
"Hmph." Kazuma crossed his arms, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. Even his most loyal subordinates had been captivated by Konoha's superficial charms after just half a day. How could Konoha ninja maintain their discipline in such a decadent environnt?
Five minutes later.
Kazuma and his subordinates gathered at their lodging.
"Kazuma-sama, aren't we missing soone?" Fudo asked, glancing around.
"Hmph. That worthless Chunin? He's irrelevant. He has no place in my plan."
"So... what's the plan, Kazuma-sama?" Fuen asked eagerly.
"I'll handle the details. You three just need to provide support and hold off any Konoha ninja who might interfere."
Kazuma pointed to a circled area on the map – the Konoha morial.
According to tradition, the bodies of prominent clan ninja were buried in their respective clan compounds, while their bones were interred in the village's public cetery.
The location of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju's remains was no secret.
"Heh heh." Fudo licked his lips. "Konoha ninja... This will be a glorious battle."
"Then let's begin!"
The four moved swiftly, their figures darting through Konoha's night. They soon arrived at the Senju clan's burial ground.
"This is it, Kazuma-sama."
Following the plan, Fudo took position at the periter of the morial, ready to use his Earth Release to create obstacles and delay any pursuers.
Fuyo and Fuen ford a defensive line, prepared to hold off Konoha ninja and buy ti for Kazuma.
Kazuma, alone, would infiltrate the morial and locate the graves of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju.
The plan was foolproof.
"Heh, I knew Konoha's ninja spirit had decayed. Despite the morial being within Konoha's borders, we infiltrated this far undetected. If I were in charge of security, we wouldn't have even reached the outer periter," Kazuma thought, smirking.
"This must be it."
He stopped before the graves of the Senju brothers.
Swiftly forming hand seals, he slamd his palm onto the ground. "Earth Style: Shifting Terrain!"
The earth parted, revealing the Senju's hidden caskets.
"Hmm?"
Kazuma paused, his eyes narrowing as he examined the caskets.
They appeared authentically aged and decayed. But what concerned him... was the faint chakra emanating from them.
"Even in death, their chakra still lingers... a testant to their power in life." He quickly rationalized the unusual phenonon.
A satisfied smile curved his lips. Such powerful chakra, even after death. The resurrected Senju brothers would be his ultimate weapons, enough to crush the Hokage Tower's sches.
Konoha's loyalty belonged to the Daimyo!
Manipulating the earth, Kazuma opened the caskets.
Inside—
Hashirama and Tobirama Senju's faces were covered in strange, almost unnatural cracks. Their bodies seed... pieced together.
However, their ninja attire and headbands appeared brand new, a jarring contrast.
But such details were irrelevant.
Victory was within his grasp.
Clap—
Snake, Horse, Boar, Horse, Rabbit, Dog, Rat, Rooster... After a series of complex hand seals, he brought his palms together.
Like an ani protagonist powering up in the penultimate episode, Kazuma shouted, "Earth Style: Ultimate Reincarnation Technique – Corpse Soil!"
The earth around the graves surged toward the Senju brothers, quickly engulfing them in a thick layer of soil.
The soil seed to liquefy, slowly subrging their bodies until they vanished completely.
"Success!" Kazuma exclaid, his heart pounding with excitent.
The ancient scroll clearly stated: once the soil completely subrged the bodies, the Ultimate Reincarnation Technique was successfully activated.
"Muahahahaha! So easily done."
"If I rember correctly, the First Hokage wielded Wood Release."
"Let's test it!"
Kazuma clapped his hands. "Wood Release: Forest Creation Jutsu!"
Hashirama Senju, as if responding to a command, brought his hands together and began forming seals.
However, instead of the Forest Creation Jutsu, he used—
"Wood Release: Silent Killing Binding Technique!"
The earth beneath Kazuma's feet erupted, thick vines bursting forth and ensnaring his body.
"What's going on?!" Kazuma's eyes widened in fear. The Ultimate Reincarnation had been successfully activated. Why... why wasn't Hashirama under his control? Why was he attacking him?!
Could it be... Hashirama's corpse possessed its own consciousness?
This bizarre turn of events shattered Kazuma's understanding.
Tobirama Senju also sprang into action, his hands moving swiftly. "Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
A high-pressure jet of water shot from his mouth, slicing through the air like a kunai, severing Kazuma's fingers.
"Argh!" Kazuma scread in agony.
Not just Hashirama, but Tobirama as well.
If it were just one, he might have assud a mistake in the jutsu. But both of them? This wasn't just a simple error.
The strange chakra emanating from the caskets earlier, coupled with this... Kazuma realized he'd been played.
"Who?!"
"Show yourself!"
"Fudo! Fuyo! Fuen! Help !"
But only silence answered his cries.
Footsteps approached. Kazuma, desperate, turned his head. He saw—
A monstrous figure, its upper body bare, covered in stitches, its lower body clad in red pants, walking towards him.
The monster's fists were clenched, revealing six bone claws erupting from its flesh.
Sothing seed to be dangling from the claws. In the dim light, Kazuma finally recognized them – the heads of Fudo and Fuen.
A chaotic mix of chakra, like multiple nature transformations combined, emanated from the creature.
"Monster! What are you?!" Terror consud Kazuma.
What kind of graveyard horror was this? Had he triggered a trap?!
The monster stood beside the resurrected Hokage, as if posing for a macabre painting.
A hoarse, chilling voice echoed in Kazuma's ears. "Heh... I never expected Gojo Kaigetsu's 'surprise' would be an emissary of the Guardian Ninja Twelve."
"How... intriguing."
Following the voice, Kazuma recognized the speaker. It was Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin.
Clad in a white lab coat, he seed like a ghost haunting the morial. His gaze toward Kazuma was cold and calculating.
"Thanks to you... I can finally overco a few of the Edo Tensei's limitations."
As Orochimaru approached, Deadpool stepped forward. With a swift swipe of his bone claws, he severed Kazuma's tongue.
Buried beneath the earth... there were no bodies of the Senju brothers. Only empty caskets and ceremonial robes.
Having received Gojo Kaigetsu's instructions, Orochimaru had prepared a trap. With Gojo's help, he'd reassigned the Anbu ninja patrolling the morial.
First, he'd deployed Deadpool as the graveyard's guardian.
Then, using the Edo Tensei, he'd summoned the bodies of the two Hokage and placed them in the caskets, waiting for the fish to take the bait.
He hadn't expected the Guardian Ninja to act so quickly, launching their attack on the very night they arrived in Konoha.
And what surprised him even more...
The scroll he'd obtained contained the [Earth Style: Ultimate Reincarnation – Corpse Soil]. In a way, this jutsu and the Edo Tensei complented each other.
The Ultimate Reincarnation used the corpses of the deceased as diums, channeling Earth Release chakra to turn them into puppets. The resurrected individuals possessed their original strength, but because their bodies were sustained by Earth Release, their defenses were incredibly weak.
The Edo Tensei, on the other hand, summoned souls from the Pure Land, using dust to cover a sacrificial body and then binding the soul to the vessel.
The resurrected individual resembled their forr self and possessed so of their original power, but their greatest strength lay in their regenerative abilities. They were virtually immortal unless sealed.
Of course, this was the "Perfected" Edo Tensei, the result of years of Orochimaru's obsessive research. Achieving such a state was incredibly difficult, almost impossible. Even Orochimaru doubted its feasibility.
He was stuck at the "one-tenth power" or even "one-hundredth power" stage.
Even with stronger sacrificial bodies, the gains were minimal.
If summoning a pri Hashirama Senju required a body of comparable strength... why bother with the Edo Tensei in the first place?
This dilemma had stalled his research.
Lacking a path forward, Orochimaru turned to the past, hoping to find answers in the wisdom of his predecessors.
He'd stumbled upon a scroll containing research notes on the Ultimate Reincarnation Technique among the Second Hokage's belongings.
Perhaps the Second Hokage had used this scroll as the basis for developing the Edo Tensei, adding the concept of space-ti ninjutsu. But even Tobirama Senju's genius hadn't been enough to complete the Ultimate Reincarnation.
"Perhaps, this is the will of the Sage of Six Paths..." Orochimaru murmured.
"Ever since I abandoned my obsession, good fortune has followed. The obstacles that once blocked my path to the truth have been removed."
"First, a successful Wood Release experint. Then, the secret of Hidan's immortality. And now, the complete Ultimate Reincarnation Technique, revealed before my very eyes."
"To call this re 'luck' would be an insult to the Sage. There's no such thing as luck in the ninja world."
"Of course, Gojo Kaigetsu did deceive . There was no will of the First Hokage involved. Otherwise, why would he need to resurrect him with the Edo Tensei...?"
"This... is the Sage's will!"
"Praise the Sage of Six Paths."
Orochimaru's tone was a mix of reverence and fanaticism, like a devout follower.
The Ultimate Reincarnation and the Edo Tensei each had their flaws, but combined, they complented each other.
The Edo Tensei's lack of power was compensated by the Corpse Soil, while the Ultimate Reincarnation's weak defenses were solved by the Edo Tensei's regenerative abilities.
The only drawback...
Orochimaru sighed. The Corpse Soil couldn't fully contain Hashirama and Tobirama's power. He could sense the Edo Tensei bodies degrading rapidly.
Furthermore, the Edo Tensei was a combination of Yin-Yang Release and space-ti ninjutsu. Using Earth Release as a substitute weakened the resurrected ninja considerably.
But compared to his previous "one-tenth power" Edo Tensei, this was a significant improvent.
He still needed to test its limits in actual combat.
"The Corpse Soil enhancent only lasts for thirty seconds." Orochimaru ntally noted this crucial detail.
Reapplying the Corpse Soil required a cooldown period of at least a week. Forcing it would only diminish its effectiveness.
He decided to add a tir to his equipnt, to alert him when the thirty-second limit was approaching.
As the thirty seconds elapsed, the resurrected Hokage's chakra waned.
The Corpse Soil enhancent dissipated, taking with it parts of their Edo Tensei bodies. They appeared battered and broken.
At Orochimaru's command, Deadpool searched Kazuma's body, retrieving the complete scroll for the Ultimate Reincarnation Technique.
A satisfied smile spread across Orochimaru's face.
He preferred controlling the living.
Deadpool's debut had been a resounding success, incapacitating two Special Jonin and eliminating one.
And Orochimaru believed this wasn't even Hidan's full potential.
"It's about ti..." he murmured, waving his hand. Deadpool vanished into the night.
Only Orochimaru, the two resurrected Hokage, and Kazuma's muffled groans remained in the desolate graveyard.
...
Monts later...
"Who's there?!" Gojo Kaigetsu's voice, filled with feigned shock and anger, echoed through the graveyard. "Orochimaru-sensei? What are you doing here? And that's... Envoy Kazuma? And... Lord First and Second Hokage?!"
"Why are they...?"
More and more footsteps approached.
The beginning was always filled with coincidences—
The Konoha Military Police Force had received a report of suspicious ninja activity near the morial. Concerned about potential desecration of the Hokage's resting place, they'd imdiately responded.
Fugaku Uchiha, upon receiving the report, had summoned Konoha's leadership.
Fugaku, Minato, Hiruzen, Gojo Kaigetsu... even Tsunade had arrived.
They stared at the scene before them, speechless.
Hashirama and Tobirama Senju... resurrected?
No... not exactly resurrected. Their state seed... unnatural, as if they were crudely constructed from so strange jutsu.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, his eyes narrowing, suspected his forr student's involvent. Had he used the forbidden Edo Tensei?
But upon closer inspection, sothing felt off. This wasn't the Edo Tensei. The bodies standing before the caskets radiated a strong Earth Release chakra.
What... what was going on?
Tsunade's reaction was the most intense. After all, this involved her grandfather and granduncle.
Gojo Kaigetsu barely managed to restrain her from tearing Kazuma apart.
Minato Namikaze, his face grim, stepped forward and addressed the bound Kazuma.
"Kazuma, what is the aning of this?"
Seeing that Kazuma couldn't speak, Hiruzen turned to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, explain yourself."
"I was conducting experints in my underground laboratory when I detected an unfamiliar chakra signature entering the morial. I ca to investigate," Orochimaru said smoothly, delivering his pre-rehearsed lines.
"Unexpectedly, I found Kazuma here, attempting to use a forbidden jutsu on the graves of our forr Hokage. Coincidentally, I'd encountered a ntion of this jutsu in the Second Hokage's research notes..."
"To prevent Kazuma from using the Hokage for so nefarious purpose, I seized control of the resurrected bodies and subdued him. That's... essentially what happened."
The Edo Tensei was a forbidden jutsu in Konoha.
Too many in Konoha were connected to the First and Second Hokage. The current leadership, except for Gojo Kaigetsu, all had ties to them.
Any talk of elections ultimately revolved around the Senju lineage.
Though tempted by their power, Gojo Kaigetsu couldn't risk resurrecting them and having them return to active duty. It would cause an uproar.
Therefore, he couldn't be the one to do this. Nor could Orochimaru. It had to be an outsider.
And Kazuma was the perfect patsy.
As for why Orochimaru was willing to participate in this charade... Well, he believed in the Sage of Six Paths! The Hokage? They weren't part of his belief system.
To further enhance his credibility, Orochimaru presented the complete scroll for the "Corpse Soil" technique to Minato. "This is the forbidden jutsu he used."
The scroll was quickly passed among Konoha's leadership. "To prevent Kazuma from controlling the Hokage," Orochimaru continued, "I was forced to use... other thods. Now, the problem is, I can't undo the jutsu and return them to the Pure Land."
"It's not your fault, Orochimaru-sensei," Gojo Kaigetsu said, feigning indignation. "This is all Kazuma's fault!"
"Mmmppphh!" Bound and gagged, his tongue severed, Kazuma could only glare at them, his eyes filled with helpless fury.
Slander! This was blatant slander! He finally understood—he'd fallen into a trap orchestrated by Orochimaru and Gojo Kaigetsu!
"How should we handle this...?" Minato asked, his face a mask of concern. This incident involved a Daimyo envoy, a forbidden jutsu, and the desecration of the forr Hokage's graves. He wasn't sure how to proceed.
"How should we handle it?!" Gojo Kaigetsu suddenly exclaid, his tone indignant. "Kazuma must die! This is what the people demand!" After all, weren't they, Konoha's leadership, the voice of the people?
"As for the Hokage..." He wrapped his arm around Tsunade's waist, his voice firm. "There's only one solution. Summon the Sealing Team and lay them to rest."
"The forr Hokage... their mory must be respected."
Tsunade, her eyes shining with gratitude for Gojo Kaigetsu's public display of affection, stepped forward.
"Wait—"
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